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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25794583">funny meeting you here</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/theultimateburrito/pseuds/theultimateburrito'>theultimateburrito</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Tokimeki Memorial Girl's Side</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Coincidences, F/M, Intimacy, Misunderstandings, Post-Canon, Post-Graduation, Romantic Tropes, Sharing a Bed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 09:33:49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,362</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25794583</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/theultimateburrito/pseuds/theultimateburrito</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“Exams are soon,” Daisy says, drawn out like she’s testing the water. Out of the corner of her eye she can see Akagi nod, more invested in watching the spokes of his wheels tick by than saying anything. It looks like a dodge, so Daisy purses her lips and pushes forward. “Tell me where you’re going, at least, so I can cheer you on.” </p><p>“No way.” </p><p>“What? <i>Why?</i>” </p><p>He glances over at her now, like he’s finally decided what to say. A smirk stretches across his face, “Nah. You’ll just chase after me if I tell you.”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kazuyuki Akagi/Daisy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Rare Pairs Exchange 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>funny meeting you here</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/hisen/gifts">hisen</a>.</li>



    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>With the two of them teetering on the precipice of graduation, spring feels especially fragile. So they treat that time a little more delicately, walk home a little slower. Daisy is walking her bike beside Akagi, who’s hopped off of his as well.</p><p>“Exams are soon,” She says, drawn out like she’s testing the water. Out of the corner of her eye she can see Akagi nod, more invested in watching the spokes of his wheels tick by than saying anything. It looks like a dodge, so Daisy purses her lips and pushes forward. “Tell me where you’re going, at least, so I can cheer you on.” </p><p>“No way.” </p><p>“What? <i>Why?</i>” </p><p>He glances over at her now, like he’s finally decided what to say. A smirk stretches across his face, “Nah. You’ll just chase after me if I tell you.”</p><p>“As if!” Daisy grimaces like she’s mad at him, but there’s a tell-tale quirk at the edge of her mouth; this is part of their natural rhythm because it’s fun, they love to live in this back-and-forth. </p><p>Maybe it would be easier to tell Daisy that a piece of him is nervous about coincidence creeping up on them. He knows it’ll find a way, somehow, like a bead of water following the trail of a previous droplet-- it’s not that it notices itself following along, just does so because it’s natural.  Some of his better instinct assures him that knowing Daisy’s trajectory will expedite that process. Whatever autonomy he has in pushing against fate, Akagi’s going to take it.</p><p>“I’ve already decided where I’m going anyway!”</p><p>“Oh?” Akagi leans curiously forward over the handlebars of his bike, further into her space as he looks up at her. “Where?”</p><p>“I’m not telling!” She tries to imitate Akagi’s voice, but her voice can’t get into that deep of a register. “<i>You’ll chase after me if I tell you</i>-- Don’t laugh!” </p><p>The ghost of a laugh still in his voice, he shrugs. “I guess fair’s fair… Well, it doesn’t matter where. You’ll definitely get in.” </p><p>“Oh…” Daisy turns her head away just enough so he can’t see if she’s flushing at the praise. Can’t see, but he knows. “You think?” </p><p>“Oh, I can tell. Look-- you’ve already got the dark circles to prove you’ve been studying up!” </p><p>She shoves at his shoulder, playful. “I do not!” </p><p>And he laughs, exaggerating the force of her push and stumbling away, bike-in-hand. It’s teasing. Teenage. They'll take it while they can get it.</p><p>Which isn’t for long. Akagi knows as much when he sees the incoming call from Daisy weeks later, as he’s crossing town. There’s a sense of an inevitability in the notification; not dreadful, just knowing. It’s immediately confirmed when he flips open his phone, before he can even say hello--</p><p>“I got in.” </p><p>He doesn’t have room or want to tease. Daisy deserves to know just how sincere he is, that he’s so, so proud. Akagi smiles, “I knew you could do it.” </p><p>“Your exams were last week too, right? Did you…” </p><p>He hums affirmatively. “Same here.”</p><p>“Ah!” Daisy’s excitement is a jolt to his heart, it flutters up along the back of his neck. “I’m so proud of you, Akagi!” </p><p>“Ah, thanks. It wasn’t so hard...” He rubs at his neck to alleviate the feeling. He can feel the flush that’s crept over his ears.</p><p>“Don’t be modest, it’s a bad look on you.” Daisy says, like she can see him right now, somehow. She shifts gears quickly. “We should celebrate, though. Before we…” </p><p>“Yeah…”</p><p>There’s a strange feeling hanging over them-- a ‘<i>so this is it then</i>’ held behind their teeth. Daisy is as sure as Akagi is that they’ll stay together, that university is just a small hurdle on the way to the rest of their lives, but there’s still that strange creature called doubt making its unwanted home in all their conversations. They’re not sure how to handle it, feels like acknowledging it is admitting defeat, so they dance around it.</p><p>It’s about this point that Akagi realizes that he’s gotten lost. </p><p>Looking around, he can see that he was moving on auto-pilot. Instead of heading home like he’d intended, he’d gotten off at the wrong stop-- the one just by Daisy’s house. It’s only when he glances up and sees it that Akagi knows for sure. He can even see the light on in Daisy’s room, the vague silhouette of her pacing. A small piece of him is embarrassed by this, but a larger part is somewhat relieved. He’ll just pretend this was all intentional and overcome both of those feelings, two birds with one stone. </p><p>“Is now too soon?”</p><p>“Ah-- Akagi!” It’s strange, like a video with sound delay, hearing her voice on the phone and seeing Daisy’s outline react. “Don’t come all the way out here this late! I can see you tomorrow!” </p><p>“Look outside.” </p><p>“...Why.” </p><p>“Humor me.” </p><p>After a tentative moment he sees her fingertips gingerly part the curtains, squinting out into the darkness. He waves for good measure, to make himself an obvious landmark. Before he hears her, he sees Daisy’s eyes widen. Then, like an alarmed echo--</p><p>“D-did you plan this?” </p><p>“Wouldn’t you like to know.” </p><p>“I would!” </p><p>He grins, lifting up the convenience store bag in his hand so she can see it. “I’ve got two bento with a university student’s name on it.”</p><p>(Sure he had coupons, sure one was for lunch tomorrow. But plans change, a course can be easily redirected.)</p><p>Daisy makes a face, but he can tell it’s just a precursor to her agreement, like lightning before thunder. She’s going to bite her lip to keep down a smirk, he can tell. Sure enough, he’s right. </p><p>“Give me a second.” </p><p>“I’m generous, I’ll give you a minute.” </p><p>She rolls her eyes and hangs up on him. </p><p>--</p><p>“I thought I saw someone at the store who looked like you today,” Daisy says. </p><p>Akagi’s unpacking the last of his boxes in his new Tokyo apartment with his cell phone wedged between his shoulder and cheek. Which is a considerably coordinated effort for him, but it’s gotten easier to do, since this has sort of become he and Daisy’s routine now that they’ve said their tearful goodbyes and gone off to university-- a call at the end of the day, a quiet good night and ‘I love you’. It’s different but the same, something sharing a wall with their usual affection. </p><p>“Oh, look at you missing me-- seeing mirages.” </p><p>“That joke doesn’t land when it’s mid-April,” He can practically hear the way she rolls her eyes through the phone. “Try again in June, maybe the A/C in my complex will still be broken and I’ll hallucinate.” </p><p>“What a weird coincidence that mine’s busted too,” Akagi lets out a breathy laugh. “You know what they say about looking out at the sky and knowing that wherever we are, we’re seeing the same moon? It’s like that but with broken air conditioning.” </p><p>“That’s so stupid,” Daisy says, but she laughs anyway. </p><p>“Hey, whatever brings me closer to you.” </p><p>“Maybe try and visit sometime, that sounds like it’d work.” </p><p>Akagi hums. “I don’t know about that.” </p><p>“Ugh! I’m hanging up now!” </p><p>“Love you,” He tries not to tease over sincere words, but can’t help it. </p><p>“I love you too,” Daisy replies, tone a perfect blend between affectionate and annoyed. Then she hangs up on him.</p><p>Akagi smiles down at his phone, savoring the last of her voice. He was never much of a music person until he met her, but now that he is, he can understand what hardcore fans mean when they say it’s better to hear it live. The difference between these phone conversations and talking to her in person feel astronomical. Time and life permitting, he hopes that he can see her soon. Wherever that is…</p><p>His stomach drops. Akagi forgot to ask for her address again. <i>Again</i>. </p><p>He still doesn’t even know where she’s going to school-- they keep getting too caught up in each other to remember to give any concrete answers. It’s such a stupid oversight, a mistake that he just keeps on making and unable to do anything about without looking like an idiot. </p><p>So Akagi just grabs the pillow off of his bed, presses his face into it, and screams. </p><p>--</p><p>Of course it’s the week that his landlady is out that Akagi gets locked out of his apartment. Of course. That’s just great. </p><p>Running a hand through his hair, he tossles it around like it’ll help him form a plan faster. It’s not really doing much to jog his brain, though, just leaves him standing in the middle of the hallway, grocery bags off to the side while he makes a face at his door. Calling a locksmith might be an option if he had his phone on him. The mental image of it sitting on top of his bed still is like a taunt. Loathe as he is to admit, Akagi knows himself well enough to be certain that he’ll get lost if he just walks. </p><p>Sheepish, he turns around and steals a glance at the door across the hall. Charismatic as he is, Akagi’s been too invested in enrollment and moving to make friends with the neighbors. And this is what they’re there for, aren’t they? A cup of sugar, a passing hallway conversation, a place to sit down and laugh about getting locked out-- silly me! Looks like that won’t happen, not in the way he’d like, anyway.</p><p>All in all he hasn’t been going out much, which makes this all the more ironic. Akagi sighs as he looks back at his failures of the past couple weeks, breathing the last of his pride into the air behind him. Turning back around, he summons up humility, and crosses the hallway. </p><p>He knocks on the door of his neighbor across the hall-- one-two, quick and businesslike. </p><p>Inside he hears some shuffling, but it’s getting closer. He’s a bit relieved that his neighbor isn’t avoiding him so he doesn’t have to try every door in the hall. Joy of all joys, the lock is being turned and the door is opening. </p><p>“Excuse me, I hate to bother you but--” </p><p>He looks up at his neighbor, who is looking at him. </p><p>Oh, it’s Daisy. </p><p>Nearly hysterical, he registers-- It’s <i>Daisy</i>.</p><p>Completely outside of himself, Akagi can feel a laugh bubbling up and overflowing out of him, like the sound of a kettle boiling manifested into a feeling. Isn’t this rich, that his girlfriend has been a stone's-throw away from him this whole time. Within spitting distance at that! It’s too good to be real, too stupid to be true! That hysterical laughter must be contagious because Daisy is laughing too, doubled over with one hand braced against the doorframe. They’re standing there in the middle of an empty hallway, laughing their heads off, half-reaching out to hold each other and support the ever-collapsing space between them. It doesn’t stop being funny, so they don’t stop giggling.</p><p>“You-- did you plan this?” Daisy finally asks, gasping for breath. </p><p>It’s a quicker answer for Akagi to shake his head “no”. He wants to take ownership of such an ornately crafted long-con of a joke, but-- god-- <i>how could he</i>? </p><p>Daisy seems to find this funnier, because it’s just so fitting for him, and that might be enough to bring her to her senses.</p><p>“Akagi-kun you’re <i>ridiculous</i>.”</p><p>“It gets worse,” He says, gesturing to the door behind him. “Looks like I’m locked out.” </p><p>“Oh, I’m so glad to see you so I can make fun of you in person.”</p><p>“Me too,” Akagi replies, sincerity coating his words in a soft, warm layer. </p><p>Pressing her lips together, face flushed, Daisy nods into her apartment, inviting. “Just come inside already.”</p><p>They can’t get a hold of the locksmith after all. Not after the first two calls. And maybe they’re tired of coincidence after coincidence but--</p><p>“Do you…,” Daisy glances up and away, flushed down to her neck. “Want to stay the night? I only… have a futon right now.”</p><p>Akagi can’t even find footing to make fun of it. Like hell he has the grounds to, with how red he is. The intimacy of sharing a bed could make his head explode. They’ve never spent the night together before, so it’s nearly too much to wrap his head around. </p><p>Before he can betray himself with modesty, Akagi heartily agrees.</p><p>They shower one after the other, and it makes his heart beat out of his chest to discover that they smell the same. Daisy looks so different with her hair still damp, it’s darker and curling slightly at the end. Akagi feels like his brain is short-circuiting from this information, at glimpsing into her nightly routine, at seeing what kind of pajamas she wears when she slips into bed, how her eyes look when glancing back at him. It’s impossible for him to process that he has a place in it, that he’s wanted here, <i>by her</i>. All of it feels too domestic for him to comprehend fully and it makes him keenly aware of a deep longing that he has for more of this. </p><p>All this, just a stone’s-throw away. Always was.</p><p>That’ll be a conversation for another day. Before his brain catches up, Akagi loosely realizes that he’s already slipped into bed alongside Daisy, tucking a stray hair behind her ear. She doesn’t seem embarrassed here, looking up at him with enough fondness to wind him. He loves her, loves her, loves her.</p><p>“Good night,” Daisy says softly, turning around. </p><p>As she turns, the scent of her shampoo fills his lungs. It tugs at his heart like a lure and pulls him in closer to her. Akagi buries his face in her hair, arm wrapped tight around her, and she leans into the touch.</p><p>“I love you,” he whispers into her ear.</p><p>Her pillowcase shifts as she buries her face into it. “I love you, too.”  </p><p>All this, just a stone's-throw away. It always will be, they’ll make sure of it.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>tokimeki girls side 2 was one of my favorite games in highschool-- it was such a treat to revisit this route, which was one of my favorites. thank you so much to my prompter for the inspiration and sweet reminder of how stupid these two are. i hope you enjoy this, it was a lot of fun!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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